The New Recruit
by NotBitingTheBunnie
Summary: Rayn Marshal has lived most of her life in an orphanage, never fitting in. After a few nights of sneaking out, she is stopped and confronted by a stranger. With a bow. Asking her about an organisation... Called S.H.I.E.L.D. Will Rayn become a new agent? Or isn't she cut out for the job?


***Disclaimer! I do not own Avengers!***

Closing the laptop slowly, I leaned back with my head against the wall. It was somewhere around three in the morning and I was unable to fall into the clutches of sleep yet again. I hoped that the internet would help, maybe make me slowly drift to sleep. But to no avail.

I stood on the bed, careful to avoid the springs of the mattress. If they so much as creaked then someone would come snooping. I edged across the frame to reach the oak wardrobe that towered over the foot of my bed. I detested the thing. How it loomed above everything. How it cast a constant dark shadow. How it blocked the view of the door from the bed.

I would move the damn thing, if I could but it must weigh the amount equivalent to a small elephant. Even if I did somehow manage to move the object, someone would surely move it back sooner or later. Why? To mess with me, of course. That's all anyone ever did in this place. Mess with the ones that don't fit in. The ones that are a little different. But I guess that's the same everywhere, right? I wouldn't know.

See, I've lived in this place for around eleven years of my life, give or take a few months. Occasionally leaving, with the promise of never having to see the place again, only to return and be dumped back five or six months later. It was always the same with this place. They always make a big thing of it too. Every time. Resident leaves. Big party. Former resident usually comes back, only with stories,and gifts that they some how managed to con out of the unsuspecting victim. These gifts were always taken too, by the staff. How they had to share with everyone, now that they were back.

I believe the whole thing to be a con. A scheme. I mean, they send out one of us. A kid. They send us out to live our life with any random stranger that seemed fit. Of course, there's all the background checks. Very thorough indeed. But how can they be so sure? You hear about it all the time. Happy family member losing the plot and all... Resulting in mass murder and/or other things to that effect. But on the off chance that a "happy home" is found, it doesn't usually last. Trial periods, they call them. A chance to do anything you have ever dreamed of, eat whatever you want, beg for anything. That's what they all do. And they all come back. Every single one. Whatever is brought back becomes everyone's. I think the staff do it so they don't have to buy the things themselves. I mean, it took forever just to get more than the basic TV package from them.

I guess I just disagree with the whole adoption system thing. I mean, we're not pets. Not something you can just come to view and pick the one that looks cute. The one that has the bubbliest personality. The promising athlete. The future Tony Stark. Anyone not fitting that criteria just gets left. Growing old and dusty in the corner with cobwebs adorning their hair, only the lone spider for company. Until one old to be cared for by others. Then they're off! Out of this place. Left to fight on their own in a world that they barely knew.

Shaking my head of the thoughts, I began to work away at the loose board on the top of the wardrobe. If anyone found out, so much as heard that I had a laptop, my whole room would be trashed. Then it would be contributed to the collection of virus ridden, ancient whirring machines that never lasted in this place longer than a week. Kids downloaded everything and anything they could on those things. Movies. Games. Music. You name it.

With a slight groan, the wood shifted and I froze. Seriously, the people in this place were like predators. One small noise would cause them to come running at you. When nothing tried to break down my door, I gently slid the laptop in, then checked to see if all my other possessions were still there too.

In total, I had two "worthy" items, that I made sure were hidden exceptionally were my laptop and an iPod. Both were given to me in my last "home". I left there a little around four weeks ago, when I had accidentally on purpose smashed a plate around the head of a teenage boy living there. In my defense, he was the biggest prick going. After successfully smuggling the items in, I made sure they were kept out of sight.

My... not so worthy item, however, was definitely worthy to me, in a weird sentimental way. It was probably the only thing that was salvaged from...

No! I did not want to go there. Memories sucked and I didn't want to be found at four am, crying my "poor little heart" out, in a sodden heap on my bed. Some of the younger kids might want to spend their nights doing that but I sure didn't.

Making sure that all my belongings were safely tucked away, I decided that if I wasn't going to sleep, I may as well get some fresh air. There was no access through the doors, of course. But there was no exact rule mentioning windows.

I eased up the frame, glad that it didn't squeak. While brushing off the paint flecks from my arms, I peered out into the night. It seemed like perfect enough weather conditions for one to be taking a night-time climb. Standing precariously on the edge of the wooden ledge, I judged the distance from my room to the tree. I'd done this plenty of times before but hey, you could never be too careful. After checking my seemingly peaceful surroundings, I leaped.


End file.
